Genome-wide identification and functional analysis of the JAZ gene family in Tripterygium wilfordii

JAZ proteins, as inhibitors in the jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway, play a crucial role in regulating plant growth and development, as well as the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in plants. To explore the functions of the JAZ gene family in Tripterygium wilfordii, our study systematically identified the members of the JAZ gene family in T. wilfordii. We analyzed their physicochemical properties, chromosome localization, phylogenetic tree, and protein conserved motifs. Additionally, we investigated the expression patterns of TwJAZs in different tissues, constructed a gene regulatory network map, and ultimately cloned the full-length sequences of 18 JAZ genes. The results showed that the 18 TwJAZs were unevenly distributed across 12 chromosomes, encoding amino acid numbers ranging from 122 to 525, with molecular weights of 13.87 to 54.73 kDa, and isoelectric points ranging from 6.83 to 10.27. Subcellular localization prediction indicated that 13 TwJAZs were localized in the nucleus, while 5 TwJAZs were located in the cytoplasm and chloroplasts. The phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that the JAZ family proteins of T. wilfordii could be divided into five subfamilies, with members of the same subfamily sharing similar conserved motifs. Expression pattern analysis demonstrated that TwJAZs were predominantly expressed in flowers, leaves, and peeled stems, with most TwJAZs showing the highest expression levels after 4 hours of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) induction. The transcription factor regulatory network shows that TwJAZs are strongly correlated with transcription factor families such as AP2/ERF-ERF, NAC, and bHLH. This study comprehensively identified all the JAZ gene family sequences in T. wilfordii, initially clarifying the structural and functional characteristics of the TwJAZs, and laying an important foundation for further research on the functions and regulatory mechanisms of TwJAZs.